In the good old days header and collector flange gaskets were made with bonded asbestos, one of the best heat resistent materials known to man, Laws banning the manufacture of products containing asbestos (while better for the preservation of mother earth) have resulted in gasket problems. The replacement material is a composition fiber which has a heat limit of approximately 1,300 degrees, which exhaust gas temperatures often exceed. This lack of heat tolerance causes the gasket to fail and exhaust systems leaks that plague performance enthusiasts. we can do everything possible to reduce exhaust gas temperaturesand retighten the header bolts as a matter of routine. But up until now, a reliable replacement gasket material has not been available. Replace those failure-prone fiber gaskets with our .062 SOLID COPPER GASKETS, made from solid .062 (1/16 inch) thick premium dead soft copper. Collectors gaskets are made from solid .043 premium dead soft copper. Why copper? First it is softer than steel, so it compresses to conform to the header O-ring seals and flange seal rings. Secondly, copper expands and contracts to maintain the critical tightness at the cylinder head and flange joints. Thirdly, our gaskets are also reusable and blow out proof. You can make them softer while still maintaining the same strength as the original copper. This is done by Annealing the gaskets. Annnealing is done by placing the gasket in an oven that is heated to 450° F for approximately 30 minutes. This process is done before reusing. These qualitioes add up to the most leak free, heat resistant gasket that your money can buy. Once you run our gaskets, you will not settle for anything less.

Installation

Clean any carbon buildupo or gasket material from the head. A razor blade or scotch brite pad works well for this step. On each side of your new gaskets apply a small bead of hi-temperature silicone around the exhaust ports. We recommend Permatex Ultra Black. after installing your gaskets, starting in the middle and working your way out torque the heaer bolts to 12-15 foot pounds. we strongly recommend not to use stainless steel bolts.